Thread 42 Corona GCSE Cohort - 👻Creeping it Real for Oct22

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Be warned there might be lots of 'Uni Freshers' chat this time of year. My experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had.

previous thread

Hi to everyone. Hope you've not been too badly affected with the weather - we've had lots of flooding, powercuts and train delays here but it hasn't affected us too badly luckily.
Just had a mammoth catch up read so lots of news is prob old for you now but new for me.
@Seeline Hope your DD is on the mend now and how did the visit go? Sorry to hear your DD has been poorly too @BlueMarigold - is she any better?
@Piggywaspushed Wow I was just getting my head around the fact your son does Policy instead of Philosophy with his PPE course (is that just a Brum thing?) and now has changed course to History. PiggyPower indeed. Hopefully with his new reading week he'll be able to catch up as he's a very conscientious sort of chap from what you've said. Grrr to DS1 and his phone - how's the drying out process going? Hope you can chill a bit over your half term now.
@Comefromaway How is your DS getting on with his new piano teacher. My DD would hate that too as she hates change. Hope his job this week is going well so far.
@Oblomov22 Grr to the saga of the 19 v 17 meals. I'd be incensed by the passing the buck attitude too and the underhand changing of the wording on 13th Sept. I assume there is no recourse to getting your refund now.
@Isthisjustnormal A Christmas Ball sounds wonderful esp for those who never got to go to a prom after exams.
@coffeeandbiscuittime Good luck to the UCAS submission with DD and her medicine course and to @Benjispruce4 and your DD too with her sociology course /UCAS form re-entry. Grades in hand should make life less stressful this time one would hope.
Hope the Primary school placement is going well @OrangeCinnamonLatte and fingers crossed for a secondary one soon.
This will be me this time next year with an empty nest too @Zebracat. Hope the USA trip was a success for your DS.
Do you have your DD 'home' with you now @crazycrofter? Happy holidays @ZittiEBuoni and all the best for the blood test results for your DD.
Love seeing the pics your DD has been doing @PhotoDad and seems she's loving Uni life and her new found friends.
Hope the covid booster jab goes well today @JustHereWithMyPopcorn and hi to everyone else.

Impressive summary of the current thread @AnneOfCleavage ! Is your dd still enjoying her gap year? Dd is ‘home’ and coming with us to my parents for the week - except she’ll be in Manchester and Liverpool seeing friends from Tue to Thur! Ds is grumpy about having to spend a whole week away from friends 😩

@AnneOfCleavage Wow! That's sort of how I think as I read the thread and only the last one or two actually get posted!

@crazycrofter no she's at a different uni. I have sent him an amazon parcel full of sweet treats to cheer him up.

Not only did I have my Covid job today, they gave me my flu jab too - in the same arm. Wish me luck over the next few days!! 😱

@AnneOfCleavage you must have taken notes to do that post! 😀 I read the messages and by the time I get to the end I've mainly forgotten who said what!

Hope he is not too knocked back if the relationship falls apart, at least it is fairly early in his university time, so he has not invested too much in maintaining a long distance relationship, but it can be so hard for them and for you as I find that as parents we get attached to the GFs and it is so strange when they just disappear out of our lives.

I am also in Awe of @AnneOfCleavage 's thorough response to the thread, but like Just my goldfish brain can not hold it all long enough to react to everything. I wish Mumsnet had "like", "wow" etc like FB.

... oh, and good luck to your body dealing with all the vaccines zipping around!

Hi @AnneOfCleavage
update on DD is that she is still a bit poorly but not as bad as before. She is still coughing a lot but is able to go out and about a bit more. I think the slow recovery is down to her not waiting to get fully well and going out when she should be resting.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn they are doing covid and fly together at our surgery. But one in each arm. Not sure which I'd prefer really.

ds had band call last night. He was the youngest by far but another player he knows who is only 5 years older will be there tonight for Sitzprobe. (Literally a sitting down rehearsal with the cast)

The jury is still out on the new piano teacher. He really really loved the first one.

ds had band call last night. He was the youngest by far but another player he knows who is only 5 years older will be there tonight for Sitzprobe. (Literally a sitting down rehearsal with the cast)

The jury is still out on the new piano teacher. He really really loved the first one.

No need to read back and catch up from the weekend - thanks @AnneOfCleavage

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn I had a Covid jab on Friday and flu on Saturday. They wouldn't do it in the same arm so now I have two aching arms 😢 No other side effects though.

DS sort of came home this weekend. He went to his not gf's and asked to meet up in Tesco's to get snacks. I insisted on sharing a picnic in the park and him hanging around long enough to meet his sister from work.
It turns out this wasn't the first time he's been back. He came back when he had flu. So whilst I was worried sick about him and offering to drive up to help him, he was three miles down the road. I don't know whether I'm hurt or furious. We had a long chat about it - stupid to spread his germs on the train, stupid to travel when he was so ill and not coping and not very thoughtful to me and DH. I'm not sure any of it went in...
GF has gone back to Nottingham with him for a couple of days. DD was planning to go up there and is now relegated to the end of the week.

Ooh I would be both hurt and furious about that, mummy 🙁

@AnneOfCleavage thanks for asking - DD still not right, the antibiotics for the uti unfortunately had the common result leading to more discomfort. We're going up on Thursday - really hoping we can feed her up, and get her back to a more stable footing for the second half of term. Hopefully she can begin making some friends etc.

@Seeline I’d be furious !

@mummyinbeds I agree with @singingstones. Hurt and furious. Really sorry to hear that.

Need a bit of a handhold. My little cat is really poorly, I’m normally quite pragmatic about animals shorter life spans, she’s 13. But I’m on the edge of tears. My oldest friends cancer has come back, I learned last week.I took it well, to be her support. Wonder if I’m projecting.

Sorry to hear that @mummyinbeds they can be so thoughtless and completely oblivious to others feelings at times. I bet your DD is miffed to, being tossed aside for gf (not gf).

AnneOfC thanks for the fab thread summary. Glad you are ok.
Sometimes in order to respond I have to take notes on a post it note.

Sorry to hear that Zebra & Mummy.

Took ds2 to Spurs yesterday for his birthday. They were awful but I'm now hoarse from singing so many songs, cheering and then boo'ing. Dh has 2 tickets for Nottingham v Spurs in 2 weeks, so will be taking ds1 yo the match, visiting him, in 2 weeks time. I'm thrilled.

Dh told him tonight. We had a very long family phone call. His first with Dh. It made my heart melt. He's having a blast. But has so little time because academically it's so full on.

@crazycrofter he went to Christian club tonight. And church yesterday. He said they fed him - the meal was beyond delicious. and the brownies were the best he's ever tasted. (And brownies are his fave - so they must have been good). I reminded him that Christian women/mums/grans are always the best cooks. My mum will be thrilled. She's a deeply committed Pentecostal Christian.

Spurs

Sorry to hear that @Zebracat
I know what both of those are like

@Zebracat Completely understand.

@mummyinbeds I'd have been mad too with the lack of honesty by omission.

@Oblomov22 Happy days are here again!!

@mummyinbeds I would be hurt and furious too.

@Zebracat sympathy across the miles. Your friend's cancer diagnosis is bound to make you feel more emotional about everything.

DS stranded in Nottingham (with GF) for an extra night as his train was cancelled and it was the last one with a connection to Bristol. A member of staff said he could go to Birmingham and Cross-country would be responsible for getting him home, but there is too much of a risk that he gets there and nothing is available. We are hoping the staff make it easy for him to use a ticket for the wrong day. He did not seem to mind, luckily he has no morning commitments tomorrow.

Haha, gosh yes, definitely had to make shorthand notes for that post... my menopausal brain would have no chance retaining past the first couple of posts.

@BlueMarigold and @Seeline your poor DD's, they've really gone through it illness wise. Hopefully this is it for a really long time so they can throw themselves into Uni experiences.

At least your DS is with his GF @Monkey2001. They don't seem to be getting anywhere with these train strikes :-( DD would like to go and visit some Uni friends but I'm worried she'd get stranded on her own (she's never travelled on a train alone before) and then be late for work shifts. One of her besties surprised her by coming home unexpectedly after 6wks away and they met up which was amazing and another one is coming back this weekend.

Sorry to hear you're going through it @Zebracat :-( We lost a much adored family pet this summer so i totally empathise.

Meant to share that DD passed her driving theory last week so that's ticked off. Phew! Now need to find her a decent driving instructor as her last one we sacked off as she wasn't safe in our opinion, with very questionable tips. She's working at a holiday club this week so getting lots of valuable experience working with children. It's a long day though and no breaks so she's already gone to bed... unheard of usually.

Congrats AnneOfC dd. 🚗

Dh sold Ds1's first car. Because it was sat here unused and uninsured. And his car is for sale too, we Upgrade our cars every couple of years. But I think Dh underestimated how much the sale of ds1's first car has upset him.

Sorry to hear your sad news @Zebracat , that must be really hard 😢

@Oblomov22 yay, glad he was well fed! What club did he go to, was it in Rutland? Dd has been going to the main Christian Union on campus, which is on Tuesday nights, but I don’t think she’s tried the hall group. And do you know what church? Dd has been to four different ones so far!

@mummyinbeds I’m so sorry your ds has been so thoughtless, and after all your concern for him too. He’ll realise one day and be mortified I’m sure.

I’m not going to manage at @AnneOfCleavage level tracked response (congrats on the driving test!) but just to say @Zebracat sorry to hear about your bad news from your cat and your mate - hope you are managing ok.